Episode 174: Tov vs. Toxicity in the Church with Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer

When we look at churches and ministries today, we often don’t see Jesus.

Instead, we see scandal. Abuse. Toxicity.

What do we do with this?

How do we change and prevent it?

Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer have an answer: tov.

Tov is the Hebrew word for “good,” and it’s who God is and who He calls us to be.

As Scot says it, tov is “the redemptive dimension of churches that can prevent them from toxicity.” We need more of this.

Let’s listen in.

// Highlights:

“This [book] was really a work of faith for me, realizing that God is in the wounded. That He’s with the wounded, He’s with the resisters. And I’ve found that, sadly, churches silencing victims was so discouraging and so disorienting. But what I found through the journey was that, that is not God, that God is truth and that God, like I said, is with the wounded.” -Laura Barringer

“The gospel is about the goodness of God—God is tov—because He is Himself tov, and therefore, we get incorporated into that kind of gospel and it just fills us with tov and goodness! And we want to be that kind of person in the world, because that’s the way Jesus was.” -Scot McKnight

“Who are we talking about when we leave the church? Are we talking about God? Are we talking about Jesus? Are we talking about the Spirit? Are we talking about the fellowship of the saints and the worship? Or are we talking about how great the pastor was [and] how great the church was?…When that’s the commentary in the car on the way home, we’re on the verge of trouble.” -Scot McKnight

// Do the Next Thing:

Check out Scot and Laura’s book, A Church Called Tov, here.

Here’s Scot’s blog!

Also, guys! We are looking for partners in our ministry! If you’re interested, join us over here.

For updates on our ministry, check out Laurie’s Instagram.